I have a couple of those little tiny windex like things that you spring onto shrouds and I want to put them on my wife's boat. She has trouble figuring out the apparent wind, and that makes it hard to learn sail trim.

I'm trying to figure out a way to put little stakes or something out at the ends of the forward akas, then clipping the little windvanes onto those. Anyone done anything like this? Any mast top ones out there?

I have been using a Davis Black Max - Wind Direction Indicator for Small Boats. It is designed to be afixed to the mast or boom with a bungee attachment. I attach it to the forward aka on the starboard side with an additional velcro wrap right under the wind vane. Works well. Only drawback is when the ama is folded in it can be snagged by accident when exiting the boat.

Looks like there are several wind vain ideas. I mounted a wind vain on a base that I just slip under the forward hatch bungies. In addition I found the sail just needed better and more tel-tails. I cut off the upper "yarn" tel-tails that came on the sail and replaced them with nylon ribbon tel-tails. These don't stick to the sail like the ones provided. I also installed ribbon tel-tales down in the see-through portion of the sail, up high and aft the same distance as the factory upper ones. Works great! The main thing with added tel-tails is you don't want too many, because depending on where they are mounted, they may conflict each other to determine apparent wind direction.

After further review, the one on my wife's boat (on the aka) has to move. The air spilling off the sail affects it too much.

If you put it on the aka, put it out as far as you can to get away from that effect.

I'm considering ways to relocate hers to the bow of the boat. I like the idea of just slipping a base under the fwd hatch bungees, but am a bit concerned after I stuffed the whole front half of my boat down into a wave. What would THAT do to the wind indicator?

I chose to put one on either aka to compensate for whatever disturbance I get from wind blockage off the sail and off rough chop. I volcanized them into a round block of acrylic and put vinyl marine velcro on them to attach to the aka. I also have a tiny line (sunglasses crokies) tied just in case a wave broke the velcro loose but that has never happened even after dunking.

Just prior to raising the mast, I'll slide this in the top between the fiberglass shaft and the sail sleeve...
If you flip or pitch pole it's probably history but, you've got other more pressing issues to deal with...